I put off calling the funeral home about mom's ashes. I wanted to remember her at her home working in her garden; enjoying cooking and doing the many things she loved. I wish I were 1/2 the woman she was. She was a wonderful mother, caregiver, grandmother, great grandmother, wife, sister, friend and her sense of humor got us all through the difficult times of our lives.
Finally, I called the funeral home yesterday and asked if mom's ashes were ready to be picked up. I was told they were ready, so today I sucked it up and got ready to go. I felt such a heaviness on me as though picking up the ashes meant she was gone for good; however, I know she is just in another place and I'll see her again someday. Not a fantasy but a fact I'm certain of. I whispered to the voice on the other end of the phone connection that I would come tomorrow to pick up the ashes.
Tomorrow came! I couldn't get started. Finally I called and told Marilyn at the funeral home I would be there before she left for lunch at 12:30 p.m. I arrived at noon. I paid the extra money on the obituary because I was rather wordy with the obituary (could have written a book about her). I was handed the death certificates, and then mom's ashes. I held them close to my chest. I had been tearful in my memories all the way to the funeral home, but now I stood there with the finality of it. I couldn't stop the tears from flowing. My precious mom was in this urn. On the way home, I talked to my mom, I played a Tony Bennett CD for me and her, and I knew she was smiling at me and wishing we could twirl around the room one more time. Once upon a Time was one of the songs on the CD and it reminded me of mom and dad and their young love. It brought some type of peace knowing they were both frolicking in Heaven enjoying whatever Heaven has in store for us.
I looked at the death certificate. The cause of death, Myocardial Infarction. I brought mom's ashes inside the house, hugging the urn to my chest. I stepped onto the front porch with the urn in my arms. Chick was busy working on the shrubs and didn't hear me arrive. I said, "Chick, mom says hello!" He said, "Hello mom." As a family we will place her ashes and dad's in the ground and remember them as they once were. For now I am honored to have my mom's ashes with me.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Monday, March 12, 2012
The trouble with dentures
February 28, 2012-Tuesday
I thought about going to Wylie for breakfast this morning. I could hear Chick rummaging around in the living room, the bathroom and mumbling as he rummaged. In a few minutes the door to the bedroom popped open. I figured he wanted me up to go to breakfast. It was 6:45 a.m. I looked at the clock by the bed. Chick said, “Are you playing a trick on me?” I said, “What is the matter with you?” He claimed to have lost his bottom denture during the night. I said, “Why would I do something like that Chick?” He said, he woke up and his bottom denture was missing. He had taken his chair apart, the couch, looked through the trash, in the toilet, in the dog’s crate, through his medication bag, on the side table in the floor, sink, cups that were in the sink, and notta! I got up and went through his routine with questions: “Did you take them out during the night? Did you check the trash? Did you swallow them? Did you throw up in the toilet?” Each question met with a NO. I started the search.
I turned the recliner over and searched the bottom, the floor, the trash, the toilet, the dirty dishes, the dog crate, the medication bag, the refrigerator, the couch. No luck with my search either. I started the questions again. We started thinking of the cost and where could we get a new denture made for him, fast. We discussed what could have become of the teeth. Did he go outside with the dog and perhaps sneeze them out? What a big mystery!
I started the search again. I looked in the dog crate because Marlee has been guilty of picking up the teeth and playing with them when he’s left them lying on the side table by his chair. Lesson learned I hoped! I picked up the cushions on the couch again. I picked up 20 dog bones Marlee had hidden, and there next to the dog bones were his teeth, upside down blending in with all of Marlee’s hidden treasures. I looked them over, they were fine. I think she licked the food out of the crevices in the teeth. I handed them to Chick. He was glad to get them, dog germs and all. Second time the dog has made off with his dentures. I would have liked to have had a picture of that dog with Chick’s teeth in her mouth, smiling! Now it was too late for breakfast! Seventy Four years old this month, what will the rest of the year bring?
I thought about going to Wylie for breakfast this morning. I could hear Chick rummaging around in the living room, the bathroom and mumbling as he rummaged. In a few minutes the door to the bedroom popped open. I figured he wanted me up to go to breakfast. It was 6:45 a.m. I looked at the clock by the bed. Chick said, “Are you playing a trick on me?” I said, “What is the matter with you?” He claimed to have lost his bottom denture during the night. I said, “Why would I do something like that Chick?” He said, he woke up and his bottom denture was missing. He had taken his chair apart, the couch, looked through the trash, in the toilet, in the dog’s crate, through his medication bag, on the side table in the floor, sink, cups that were in the sink, and notta! I got up and went through his routine with questions: “Did you take them out during the night? Did you check the trash? Did you swallow them? Did you throw up in the toilet?” Each question met with a NO. I started the search.
I turned the recliner over and searched the bottom, the floor, the trash, the toilet, the dirty dishes, the dog crate, the medication bag, the refrigerator, the couch. No luck with my search either. I started the questions again. We started thinking of the cost and where could we get a new denture made for him, fast. We discussed what could have become of the teeth. Did he go outside with the dog and perhaps sneeze them out? What a big mystery!
I started the search again. I looked in the dog crate because Marlee has been guilty of picking up the teeth and playing with them when he’s left them lying on the side table by his chair. Lesson learned I hoped! I picked up the cushions on the couch again. I picked up 20 dog bones Marlee had hidden, and there next to the dog bones were his teeth, upside down blending in with all of Marlee’s hidden treasures. I looked them over, they were fine. I think she licked the food out of the crevices in the teeth. I handed them to Chick. He was glad to get them, dog germs and all. Second time the dog has made off with his dentures. I would have liked to have had a picture of that dog with Chick’s teeth in her mouth, smiling! Now it was too late for breakfast! Seventy Four years old this month, what will the rest of the year bring?
Mama said there would be days like this!
I put off calling the funeral home about mom's ashes. I wanted to remember her at her home working in her garden; enjoying cooking and doing the many things she loved. I wish I were 1/2 the woman she was. She was a wonderful mother, caregiver, grandmother, great grandmother, wife, sister, friend and her sense of humor got us all through the difficult times of our lives.
Finally, I called the funeral home yesterday and asked if mom's ashes were ready to be picked up. I was told they were ready, so today I sucked it up and got ready to go. I felt such a heaviness on me as though picking up the ashes meant she was gone for good; however, I know she is just in another place and I'll see her again someday. Not a fantasy but a fact I'm certain of. I whispered to the voice on the other end of the phone connection that I would come tomorrow to pick up the ashes.
Tomorrow came! I couldn't get started. Finally I called and told Marilyn at the funeral home I would be there before she left for lunch at 12:30 p.m. I arrived at noon. I paid the extra money on the obituary because I was rather wordy with the obituary (could have written a book about her). I was handed the death certificates, and then mom's ashes. I held them close to my chest. I had been tearful in my memories all the way to the funeral home, but now I stood there with the finality of it. I couldn't stop the tears from flowing. My precious mom was in this urn. On the way home, I talked to my mom, I played a Tony Bennett CD for me and her, and I knew she was smiling at me and wishing we could twirl around the room one more time. Once upon a Time was one of the songs on the CD and it reminded me of mom and dad and their young love. It brought some type of peace knowing they were both frolicking in Heaven enjoying whatever Heaven has in store for us.
I looked at the death certificate. The cause of death, Myocardial Infarction. I brought mom's ashes inside the house, hugging the urn to my chest. I stepped onto the front porch with the urn in my arms. Chick was busy working on the shrubs and didn't hear me arrive. I said, "Chick, mom says hello!" He said, "Hello mom." As a family we will place her ashes and dad's in the ground and remember them as they once were. For now I am honored to have my mom's ashes with me.
Finally, I called the funeral home yesterday and asked if mom's ashes were ready to be picked up. I was told they were ready, so today I sucked it up and got ready to go. I felt such a heaviness on me as though picking up the ashes meant she was gone for good; however, I know she is just in another place and I'll see her again someday. Not a fantasy but a fact I'm certain of. I whispered to the voice on the other end of the phone connection that I would come tomorrow to pick up the ashes.
Tomorrow came! I couldn't get started. Finally I called and told Marilyn at the funeral home I would be there before she left for lunch at 12:30 p.m. I arrived at noon. I paid the extra money on the obituary because I was rather wordy with the obituary (could have written a book about her). I was handed the death certificates, and then mom's ashes. I held them close to my chest. I had been tearful in my memories all the way to the funeral home, but now I stood there with the finality of it. I couldn't stop the tears from flowing. My precious mom was in this urn. On the way home, I talked to my mom, I played a Tony Bennett CD for me and her, and I knew she was smiling at me and wishing we could twirl around the room one more time. Once upon a Time was one of the songs on the CD and it reminded me of mom and dad and their young love. It brought some type of peace knowing they were both frolicking in Heaven enjoying whatever Heaven has in store for us.
I looked at the death certificate. The cause of death, Myocardial Infarction. I brought mom's ashes inside the house, hugging the urn to my chest. I stepped onto the front porch with the urn in my arms. Chick was busy working on the shrubs and didn't hear me arrive. I said, "Chick, mom says hello!" He said, "Hello mom." As a family we will place her ashes and dad's in the ground and remember them as they once were. For now I am honored to have my mom's ashes with me.
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